Alarm for boxes and other receptacles.



C. A. MAHLA.

ALARM FOR BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. I914.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. A MAHLA.

ALARM FOR BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV 2?, IBM.

1,206,01 1 Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

name sra'rns ra'rnivir one EOE.

CHARLES A. MAI ILA, OF JERSEY CITY, NEVI JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PAIQIK G. HAMMAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ALARM FOR 33 XES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

Application filed November 27, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. MAHLA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarms for Boxes and other Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adevice for giving an alarm when a boX or other form of receptacle is moved, or carried away, the purpose of which is to defeat any attempt to tamper with the contents of the receptacle or to remove the receptacle, thereby protecting it and its contents from burglary.

The present invention is for the same general purposes as those set forth in U. S. patent to Samuel lilundler, No. 1,027,272, dated May 21, 1912.

The objects of my invention are to provide an alarm device for receptacles which will be very simple in construction and very reliable in its operation and very easily set into operative condition.

Another object of my invention is to simplify the construction so that the cost of manufacture may be lessened.

Another object of my invention is to improve the connections for the electric circuits so as to avoid the use of wires as much as possible and to simplify the connections and reduce the tendency thereof to become electrically disconnected accidentally.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of the signaling device as adapted for use in a re ceptacle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing, also, the device arranged in a receptacle. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the position of the parts at the moment that the centering device is being set. Fig. ft, is a sectional view, taken on the line 41- 1 of Fig. 1, showing how the alarm is started upon lifting the receptacle from the table or other support. Fig. 5, is a sectional view, taken on the line of Fig. 1, showing the centering parts after they have been displaced by a sidewise movement of the receptacle.

The present device is adapted for use in connection with jewel boxes, cash boxes and in fact with any form of receptacle which it is desired to prevent tampering with in any manner, For convenience I have shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 874,150.

my invention inserted in a simple rectangular box; and in order that the device may be placed in and be removed from the receptacle I have shown the signal device mounted upon a support separate from the receptacle itself, though this is not imperatwo.

I have shown a receptacle 1 comprising a bottom 2 and side and end walls 3. It is to be understood that the receptacle is preferably provided with a cover and with a lock, but for simplicity these are not shown in the drawings, since they may be of any desired form or arrangement.

The various parts of the signal device are here shown mounted and removable with a base board 4:, which is made of conducting material, such as sheet metal.

Arranged upon the base 4, I have shown an ordinary electromagnetic hell 8 which I prefer to use for giving an audible signal or alarm; although it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to use with this particular form of alarm. There is also arranged upon the base a battery 9, here shown as an ordinary dry cell having terminal straps 10, 11.

When the battery is arranged in place upon the base 4 it is clamped by aresilient strap 12, which is screwed to the base by ascrew 14. By turning the strap 12, around, it may be brought over the battery until the strap is under sufiicient tension to hold the battery in place. l-Vhen the battery is thus held in position the terminal 10 presses into contact with a resilient connection member 15, which is secured to the base 4 by a screw 16. The other battery terminal 11, contacts directly with the binding post 17, of the bell. The connection member is electrically connected with the second binding post, 18, of the bell, through the base 4 and a circuit closing device, as will be explained. It will be noted that no wires are required to make the connections, and this makes the device easy to assemble and it avoids any liability of imperfect electrical connections.

There is a strap 19. which is connected to the terminal 18, of the alarm device, and it extends outward and is held firmly in place in position to contact with a movable part of the controlling device.

The device which controls the circuit and thereby the operation of the alarm or signal comprises the following; The bottom 2 of the receptacle in which the device is placed has an aperture 20 through which a round ball 21 of metal or other suitable material, is adapted to project suiiiciently to enable the ball to rest upon a table 22 or other support upon which the receptacle is placed. The base 4 has the retaining block 23 secured thereto, which has a recess 24 in which the ball 21 is held, the recess being slightly contracted at the top to confine the ball in th recess. The base 4 has a countersunk aperture 25 under the recess 24 of the block 23, which is suiiiciently large to permit a portion of the ball to project therethrough, but still small enough to confine the ball in the recess 24. The block 23 with its recess 24, and the base 4 with its aperture 25, provide means forlfetaining the ball, but the space for the ball is sufliciently large to permit it to revolve freely and to permit it to rise and fall slightly. The block 23 is held firmly in position by the screws 26, which pass therethrough and into the base. There is a stationary guiding member comprising a horizontal plate 27 resting on the block 23, and an upright plate 28; which latter guides a vertically movable block 29. The block 29, is adapted to rest upon the plate 27, and to rise slightly therefrom; and it is guided not only by the vertical plate 28, but also by a post 30 which extends through an aperture in the plate 27, and is screwed into block 23. It will be noted that this construction connects the movable block and the stationary block 23 and base 4, which hold the ball 21 together, so that the centering device which cooperates with the ball and which is movable with the block 29, will cooperate accurately with one another. This construction also makes the assemblage of the parts very simple and rapid. There is a spiral spring 31 seated in a recess 32 in the block and acting on the head 33 of the post 30 to depress the block 29. From the above it will be apparent that the block 29, which carries the centering device, reciprocates in a fixed path and in only one direction in relation to the ball.

The centering device comprises, in addition to the ball, a. flexible member which can move toward and from the ball with the block 29, but which can not be moved sidewise except by being flexed. The advanta e of this is, that the flexible member is se f acting when centering and a more reliable contact may be made with the ball and it may be made quickly. Preferably, though not necessarily, this member consists of a coiled spring having one end fixed. In the drawings I have shown this centering member as a spiral spring 34. The upper end of this flexible member fits into a recess 35 i the extension 36 of the movable block 29 where it is held securely against lateral movement by a screw 37 having a conical end entering the end of the spring and preventing it from moving laterally and from dropping out of the recess. The lower end of the spring is free to move laterally in any direction; and, in order to have a smooth and free engagement with the ball I prefer to provide a rounded end piece 33 in the lower end of the spring.

There is an arm 38 on the block 29 which extends through a slot 39 inthe plate 28; and this arm is arranged to make and break contact with the free end of the strap 19 as the block 29 falls or rises; thereby controlling the operation of the alarm device. There is another arm 40 extending from the block 29, which is engaged by a lever for setting the centering device. The lever 41 is held upon the base by clips 42, and one arm 43 of the lever extends upward at one side of the receptacle so as not to interfere with the contents, and still be accessible at the top. There is an arm extending from the lever 41 and another arm 45 extending from the first arm, thus forming a crank for engaging and diseijigaging the arm 40.

Operation; When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 3 circuit is open, since the arm 38 is held away from the strap 19. In order to set the device in condition so that the alarm will ring when the receptacle is moved, the receptacle containing the alarm is placed upon the table 22 or other support, so that the ball is in its raised position in the recess 24, and relative to the centering device. Either before or after the receptacle is so placed, the lever 43, is placed in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, so that the crank -15 holds the block 29 and centering member 34 up, the latter free of the ball, and the arm 38 separated from the strap 19. When the receptacle has been placed on the support in and 5 the electric the manner above described the leverarm 43 is swung carefully over to the full line position of Fig. 1, during which movement the crank arm 45 allows the block 29 to go down under the action of the spring 31. This downward movement may be very slight and it will cease as soon as the member 34 contacts with the top of the ball. This is what may be called the centering operation. The lever having been thrown over the full extent, the crank arm 45 is free of the arm 40, so that the block 29, and the parts connected with it would go down were it not for the centering device resting upon the ball. The spring 34 is preferably stronger or stiifer than the spring 31, so that it will not be compressed or closed by the downward pressure of the latter on the block 29. The cover of the receptacle is now carefully closed and locked. When the device is thus set the alarm is in condition to be started'either by .a slight movement of a mu the receptacle alon the support, or by the receptacle being lifted entirely off its support. Thus, if an attempt were made by 11 unauthorized person to open the cover by forcing the lock or ot lei-wise there would be some sl'rnt movement oreceptacle along the support 2:2; and n if it be only a fraction of an inch h alarm will be started; or, if the receptacle is entirely lifted from the support the same result will follow. If the rcce )tacle i moved laterally in any direction on the support the ball 21 will be revol ed and tne centering member will ride otl the center of the ball and its lower end will shift one side f the center, as shown in 5. The -'bility of the i'nember 3% will readily permit its lower end to move off center in this manner upon very slight rotation of the ball. When the end of the centering member does ride oil the top of the ball in the manner described, there will be nothing to keep the block 29 in its raised position and as a result, it will be 'orced downwardly by the spring 31. Vfhen 'his occurs the arm 38 contacts with the srap l9 and the circuit is thus closed to art the alarm. The circuit may be traced rcm the battery through the strap 15, "hrough the base 43:, the bloclrs s3 and arm 08 and strap 19 to the post 18 of the bell. From there the circuit is through the coils of the bell to the post- 1'? and then through the terminal ll, to the opposite pole of the battery. lhe alarm, having been started in the above manner, will continue to ring until such time as the battery is exhausted, or until an authorized person unlocks the cover of the receptacle and throws over the lever arm L3. If the receptacle is lifted up directly from the support 22, insteao of being moved sidewise, a similar result will follow. .ln that event the ball 21 will drop slightly in the recess 2% formed in the blocl: and, as the ball falls. the member 3th will follow until the block 29 comes down and the arm 38 rests on the strap 19. The circuit above described will. be thus closed and tie alarn'i will continue to ring.

Thus it will be seen that the device will be made operative upon any movement of the receptacle.

The arrangement herein is very advantageous because there is less likelihood of the centering device operating improperly. The block 29 must reciprocate up or down in a guided path. so that the upper end of the flexible member 34 is always over the center of the ball. It simply moves toward and from the center of the ball. Therefore in centering the device, to set it for operation, it is only necessary to move the block 29 in its fixed path and the flexible character of the centering member will cause its lower end to center over the ball if it had previously been moved laterally. This makes w we the centering device very accurate and reliable.

It is an advantage to have the block 29 guided by a fixed member such as 28 which is secured to the hlocl: 29 which holds the ball, because in assembling the device the parts which control the centering are sure to be properly related and to remain so. It is also a decided advantage to have fiat straps for the connections and to complete the electric circuit partly through the base because the use of wires and binding posts is eliminated.

Various changes may be made in the arrangement and construction without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the annexed claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is .1. In a burglar alarm of the character described, the combination of a receptacle, alarm actuating mechanism comprising means for initiating the operation thereof comprising a ball mounted with facility of rising and falling and rolling, and projecting through said receptacle for the purpose set forth, a coiled spring adapted to stand on said ball, and having a free end cooperating with the ball and having its other end fixed against lateral movement and means for guiding said spring whereby it may move toward and from the ball, said alarm actuating mechanism being controlled by said latter mentioned movements of said spring.

2. In a burglar alarm of the class described the combination of a receptacle, alarm actuating mechanism and means controlling the operation thereof, comprising a ball mounted with facility of rising, falling and rolling, and projecting through said receptacle for the purpose set forth, a reciprocating block moving in a single path in relation to the ball, a coiled spring having one end secured to the block and having a free end cooperating with the ball whereby the spring may be flexed, said ball being adapted to hold up said spring, and said alarm actuating mechanism being operable upon the downward movement of said spring.

3. in a burglar alarm of the character described, a receptacle, an alarm device, and alarm actuating mechanism comprising means formin a pocket for holding a ball so as to be capable of rising, falling and rolling therein, a ball therein projecting to the exterior of the receptacle, a post secured to said means, a block guided by said post, a coiled spring carried by said block and having one end fixed to the block and the other end free and cooperating with said ball, said block and spring being adapted to be held up by said ball and adapted to fall when the free end of the spring moves alarm actuatin mechanism off the center of said ball and to thereby operate the alarm actuating device.

4. In a burglar alarm of the class described, a receptacle, an alarm device, an comprising means forming a pocket for holding a ball so as to be capable of rising, falling and rolling therein, a ball therein projecting to the exterior of the receptacle, a post secured to said means, a block guided by said post, a spring on said post tending to force the block downwardly, a coiled spring haw.

New York, this 13th day of November, 1914. 29

CHARLES A. MAHLA. \Vitnesses BERTRAM ROBERTS, CHARLES G. HENsLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D U. 

